The present invention relates to a display disposed at a front part of a passenger compartment of a vehicle to provide various information.
In recent years, motor vehicles are equipped with displays for navigation aids and driver information system, for in-car television system, or for control of air conditioning system, audio system or other accessories in the form of a touch panel. Such an in-car display unit needs to have a larger screen to present a larger amount of information, and a large display unit is normally disposed at an instrument panel in a center region between a driver""s seat and a front passenger""s seat.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,796,350 (corresponding to Published Japanese Patent Application Publication (Kokai) No. 9(1997)-244003) discloses an automobile screen control apparatus arranged to adjust the brightness of a backlight in dependence on on/off conditions of lighting and left flasher to prevent driver annoyance with a bright display.
It is an object of the present invention to provide display control technique for altering a picture display region on a display screen adequately to reduce inconvenience of a display screen to a driver.
According to the present invention, a display apparatus for a vehicle, comprises: a display unit comprising a screen presenting information to a driver, the display unit being disposed in a front central region of a passenger compartment; a sensor section comprising an eye position sensor to sense an eye position of the driver; and a controller to reduce a size of a display region on the screen of the display unit and to shift a position of the display region in the screen upwardly toward a driver""s seat""s side as the eye position moves forward.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a display apparatus for a vehicle, comprise: a display unit comprising a screen presenting information to a driver of a vehicle, the display unit being located in a front region of a passenger compartment of the vehicle; an outside brightness sensor to sense a brightness outside the vehicle; and a controller to alter a display region in the screen of the display unit in accordance with the brightness sensed by the outside brightness sensor.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, a display apparatus comprises: a display unit comprising a screen presenting information to a driver of a vehicle, the display unit being disposed in a front region of a passenger compartment of the vehicle; a sensor section comprising a steering frequency sensor to sense a driver""s steering frequency; and a controller to reduce a size of a display region on the screen of the display unit when the steering frequency increases.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, a display apparatus for a vehicle, comprises: means for presenting visual representation in a display region on a screen located in a front region of a passenger compartment of the vehicle; means for sensing an eye position of a driver relative to the screen; and means for altering the size of the display region on the screen in accordance with the eye position of the driver.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, a display control process for a vehicle, comprises: a process element of sensing an eye position of a driver relative to a screen of a display unit in a passenger compartment of the vehicle; and a process element of altering the size of a display region on the screen in accordance with the eye position.
The other objects and features of this invention will become understood from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings.